Clean Energy Ministerial Introduces Global Superior Energy Performance

Over July 19th and 20th, ministers and government officials from 24 countries, who together account for over 80 percent of global energy use, came together in Washington, DC for the inaugural Clean Energy Ministerial conference. The participating countries jointly introduced 11 international energy initiatives that target the greatest opportunities for clean energy deployment and energy efficiency.

With particular relevance to the industrial sector, the Global Superior Energy Performance (GSEP) Partnership was one of the 11 initiatives unveiled targeting both industrial facilities and commercial buildings, which together account for nearly 60 percent of global energy consumption. GSEP is structured as a formal partnership between the public and private sectors in support of three programmatic elements.

The first is to implement an internationally coordinated certification process of continuous improvement in energy efficiency within commercial and industrial facilities. This process will rely on the use of an energy management standard such as ISO 50001. The second element creates sectoral task groups focused on accelerating the adoption of best practices and best available technologies throughout participating sectors. The last is a cross-sectoral working group to facilitate the advancement of cross-cutting technologies and solutions such as combined heat and power technologies and cool roofs.

Initially, GSEP will be piloted by charter program participants including 3M Company, Cleveland Clinic, Dow Chemical Company, Grubb & Ellis Company, Marriott International, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nissan, Target Corporation and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Please visit the Clean Energy Ministerial for more information on GSEP and other emerging international energy initiatives.